Cirata Dam, Purwakarta

Purwakarta Cirata Dam was visited a few months ago, using road route starting from Cibubur - Cileungsi - Cariu - Cikalong Kulon. After arriving in the area of Cikalong Kulon we turned left along the banks of Cirata Dam until finally arriving at the end of the road, on the dam and the installation of Cirata Hydro Power Station in Purwakarta.

In addition to severe damages of the road route along Cileungsi - Cariu at several locations, the damage of road along the banks of Cirata Dam also were not less severe, in addition to very long distance of the damaged roads. Luckily I used an SUV car with relatively large wheels, so it could a not more easily passed through the painful pathway.

Purwakarta Cirata Dam which blocked the flow of Citarum River is located upstream of Jatiluhur Dam, in the area that are still the same. This reservoir inundated a vast region stretching across three districts, namely Bandung, Cianjur, and Purwakarta, with most of the inundation is in Cianjur Regency.

The back side of concrete structure of Purwakarta Cirata Dam with dozens of steps leading to bottom of the valley, and at the background is the Power House of Cirata Hydro Power Station. The valley base becomes the flow area of Citarum River after spinning Cirata Hydro Power turbines, and the water flow feed hectares of rice fields in Purwakarta area.

At the banks of Cirata Dam there are food stalls offering typical Purwakarta delicacies such as Sate Maranggi. The tender and delicious satay usually uses mutton or beef, and seasoned using soy sauce with a blend of sweet, sour, and spicy. Grilled fish and fresh sweet tender young coconuts were also available along the dam banks.

Apparently the Purwakarta Cirata Dam has an installation of 4 floors Power House, which in its tunnel facility below the ground there are eight huge turbines. The operation of the turbines is controlled from the control room named Switchyard, which is within a distance of about 2 km from electricity generating engines in the Power House.

Try to stop by at Sate Maranggi Abah Buyung at GPS: -6.70359, 107.36248. There was another woman selling Sate Maranggi in her simple tents where visitors should sit on the floor covered by plastic. This simple place provides natural atmosphere to enjoy Sate Maranggi, while seeing the sights of quiet Cirata Dam with panoramic views of green hills.

The natural atmosphere looked beautiful and romantic when reddish light tinge started coloring the clouds hanging over the water and the hills that surround Purwakarta Cirata Dam. Soon after that the strokes of bright red on a cloud above a reservoir looked more visible to the eye. Local fishermen who caught fish also beautify the landscape.

Idyllic dusk panorama of Purwakarta Cirata Dam can also be enjoyed from several simple food stalls located on the banks of the reservoir, at a location called Buangan. In addition to relaxing on the stall bamboo divan while eating warm meals and drink, in Buangan visitors can also rent fisherman boat to enjoy the atmosphere of the middle of the reservoir. To be able to enjoy the scenic panoramic sunset at Purwakarta Cirata Dam, travelers from out of town should consider to stay overnight around the reservoir or near the town of Purwakarta. Several houses around the reservoir owned by local people provide simple places to stay and the costs are relatively inexpensive, of course with simple facility.

A man was seen pedaling his bamboo raft on a relatively wide river flow. This scene was taken from a bridge located a few kilometers away after leaving the banks of Purwakarta Cirata Dam on the way to Jakarta City via toll road, exposing the back side of Cirata Dam as well as the flow of water from the dam and areas through which it passes.

On the left side of Purwakarta Cirata Dam there's panorama of high hills landscape, lush green paddy fields on the right side, and the concrete structure of Cirata Dam looked far in the background. In addition to provide water irrigation, Cirata Dam is also used as a place for fish farming b by using tens of thousands plots of pond floating net.

Cirata Hydro Power Dam, which is the official name of Purwakarta Cirata Dam, is located at an altitude of 220 meters above sea level. This dam using the puddle which covers 6,200 hectares of land as the main energy source to drive the giant turbines of Cirata Hydro Power, which in normal condition is able to produce 1,400 million kwh of electricity per year.

The easiest way to get to Cirata from Jakarta is via Cikampek Toll Road and then enter the Purbaleunyi Toll (Cipularang), exit at the toll gate of Jatiluhur and follow Jalan Raya Ciganea. After arriving at Jalan Raya Cialawi ask for directions to Cirata, because you have to turn right close to the location, in the GPS -6.64633, 107.36721.